About the Primary Care Adult Occupational Therapy Service
Primary care Occupational Therapists (OT) promote independence and enable service users to re-engage with the activities that they need or want to do in their everyday life.
OTs aim to enable service users to achieve maximum independence and quality of life and to develop and maintain a lifestyle that’s meaningful to them. They work with service users in the community to overcome their limitations caused by injury, illness, disability, psychological/emotional difficulties or the effects of ageing.
OTs work with service users and their families/carers to:
- assess and adapt their home
- improve their ability to take in and use information
- provide education on how to use enabling equipment in order to promote independence.
Following an assessment, the OT will work with the service user to set realistic goals to maintain or improve the daily occupations most relevant to the service user.
Area covered by the Primary Care Adult Occupational Therapy Service Dublin West (CHO 7)
Network 5 - Clondalkin
Network 6 - Lucan
Network 7 - Inchicore, Ballyfermot, Palmerstown and Chapelizod
Network 9 - Saggart and Rathcoole
How we can support you
Occupational therapy intervention can be individual/group-based, depending on individual clients need and goals.
The OT will assess the service user’s abilities in the following areas:
- Carrying out daily living tasks, such as; bathing, dressing and household tasks.
- Abilities to take in, process and remember information.
- Moving and transferring from one position to another.
- Seating and Pressure Care.
- Safety and Falls Prevention.
- Access to their home and the local environment.
Our services
We work with people both in their own homes and in clinics based in primary care health centres.
Intervention is specific to each service user. Examples of some OT intervention may include:
- recommending solutions to overcome functional limitations
- promoting increased independence and safety.
- advising and educating clients and their family/carers
- assessing for and recommending adaptive equipment (medical card and long term illness cardholders) or information on private purchase (non-medical cardholders)
- advice on home and environmental adaptations
- assess and provide customised seating, wheelchairs & pressure care
- liaison with hospital staff to facilitate hospital discharges to the home environment
- provide advice and trial of our Dementia technology resource library.
Who benefits from Occupational Therapy
Service users who may have some of the following conditions:
Chronic health conditions that are impacting on their ability to do their activities of daily living - Arthritis, COPD, Diabetes, Orthopaedic/Musculoskeletal, Cardiovascular/ Respiratory conditions, Sensory impairment, Immune system conditions, Cancers.
A suspected or diagnosed dementia (eg Alzheimer’s, Lewey body, Frontotemporal).
Neuro-disabilities (eg Brain Injury, MS, MND, Parkinson’s Disease).
Occupational Therapy can benefit those who:
- want increased independence when completing everyday activities in their home environments.
- need specialised seating and provision of pressure relief.
- require advice or guidance around maintaining their safety in their own homes.
- could benefit from support and advice for family members caring for them in their own home environments.
- have increased manual handling needs
- need to be assessed for provision of powered mobility
- have frequent falls or fear of falls
Groups and Workshops
We have run small educational group programmes and talks for Falls Education, Positive Aging, Jog your memory, Dementia Care and Self-management of Chronic Conditions.
Some of the above programmes are run with our Primary Care Team colleagues. We aim to run these programmes regularly throughout the year. This is dependent on staffing levels and client need.
Referral to our Occupational Therapy Service
You can be referred by a healthcare professional, such as your GP, Physiotherapist, Public Health Nurse or Speech and Language Therapist.
You can also arrange a self-referral with the contact details provided below.
What happens if you get referred
Once we receive your referral we will send a letter to you outlining that a referral has been received, as well as information on the role of the OT and information on our attendance policy.
An Occupational Therapist will make contact with you by phone or in writing in advance to arrange an appointment time and location.
Your OT appointment may be carried out by phone, clinic-based within your home environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a grant to adapt my house now that my needs have changed
People with a disability or older people may apply to their local county council for a home adaptation grant. For more information about home adaption grants please see:
Citizens Information
Dublin City Council
South Dublin County Council
You may be asked for an Occupational Therapy report for some grants. We do not supply this report but you can contact the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland.
My equipment supplied by OT is broken, how do I get it fixed?
Contact the OT Department and ask for a repair. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 9 pm to 5 pm. Contact details can be found at the bottom of the page.
If it is outside of these hours and your equipment is essential (such as a hoist), please contact Fannin’s emergency line on 01 2907 080.
How do I arrange for my equipment to be collected if I no longer need it?
Please contact the OT department ask for a collection to be arranged. Contact details can be found at the bottom of the page.
My needs have changed since I was last seen by an Occupational Therapist, how do I arrange a review?
You can re-refer yourself by phoning the OT department. Contact details can be found at the bottom of the page.
We will fill out a form with you over the phone which will help us assess the urgency of your case.
I work as an Occupational Therapist in another service, my client who needs new equipment lives in your catchment area, can you fund this through Primary Care?
An outside prescription may be arranged, we have a process for assessing these funding requests. Contact the OT Department and ask to discuss this with the designated Occupational Therapist. Contact details can be found at the bottom of the page.
Do I need a medical card to be seen by a Primary Care Occupational Therapist?
No, we accept referrals from anyone over the age of 18 who lives in our catchment area.
We can supply equipment when needed to people with a Medical Card, LTI card, or a Health Act Amendment Card.
Contact Details
Our team are based in Health Centres across Dublin West. Our main office is located in
Clondalkin CHN5
Email: CHN5.Clondalkin@hse.ie
Address: CHN Clondalkin, Rowlagh Health Centre, Neilstown Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, D22C9C3.
Phone: 01 7955900
Lucan CHN6
Email: CHN.lucan@hse.ie
Address: CHN Lucan, Acorn Unit, Cherry Orchard Hospital Campus, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10.
Phone: 01 7955236
Ballyfermot & Palmerstown (including Chapelizod & Inchicore) CHN7
Email: CHN7.BallyfermotPalmerstown@hse.ie
Address: CHN Ballyfermot & Palmerstown, 2nd Floor, Ballyfermot Primary Care & Mental Health Centre, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, D10 C973
Phone: 01 7956170
Data Protection Information
Speaking with an OT is confidential and we are governed by GDPR legislation.
We may sometimes link in with other healthcare professionals to make sure you are best supported, with your permission.
